South Korean skater applies to be Chinese citizen to take part in Beijing Winter Olympics

A top South Korean short track speed skater, who was banned from competitions for a year after allegedly sexually harassing a male teammate in 2019, has applied for Chinese citizenship to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency first reported that Lim Hyo-jun was going through a special naturalisation process which was suggested by the Chinese Skating Association. Brion Company, which manages athletes including Lim, confirmed Lim's citizenship application.

"Lim Hyo-jun has decided to change his nationality to Chinese," Brion Company said in a statement on Saturday.

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Lim, the 1500m gold medal winner at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, has supposedly been issued a special passport from China and left for the country on Friday to start training there.

"He'll skate for China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics," Yonhap quoted a source close to the athlete as saying, adding that Lim feared he might fail to make the South Korean team for the quadrennial event due to a legal battle linked to his suspension.

Lim was charged in late 2019 for pulling down the pants of a male teammate and exposing one of his body parts to female skaters at a training centre gym.

The Korea Skating Union (KSU) banned the 24-year-old for one year in August 2019.

A criminal charge was also levelled at Lim and he was initially ordered to pay a 3 million won (US$2,660) fine in May 2020 by a lower court.

But an appellate court found him not guilty six months later and the case is awaiting a final decision in the Supreme Court.

Lim's suspension was put on hold halfway last year before reaching the one-year mark while he was going through his legal process.

If the top court overturns the appellate court's decision and finds him guilty, the suspension will restart, which will then rule out Lim's chances of skating at next year's Winter Olympics.

Skater Lim Hyo-jun (centre) won the 1500m gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. File photo: Reuters alt=Skater Lim Hyo-jun (centre) won the 1500m gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. File photo: Reuters

Brion agency in its statement defended Lim's decision, saying he was unable to bear the prospect of his promising athletic career coming to an end.

Lim wanted to represent South Korea and had his sights set on his second straight Olympic gold medal in Beijing, but he has been unable to train anywhere in the country for the past two years as the case dragged on, the agency said.

"He just wanted to find ways to put his skates back on," the statement said.

His apology to the unnamed victim failed to prevent the case from reaching a criminal court, it added.

The agency also asked fans to refrain from spreading false rumours over Lim's decision and from hurling insults at the skater for switching allegiance, since he has decided to do what he feels is best for his career.

Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating.

In overturning the lower court's guilty verdict, the appellate court said Lim's action was in response to an earlier incident involving the victim and a female skater.

The female athlete fell from a climbing tool during exercise after Lim's victim allegedly shook it.

Lim later retaliated with a prank by pulling the male teammate's pants down, according to the appellate court.

"It is difficult to see the pantsing of his teammate by the accused as an act of sexual harassment," the court said at that time.

Lim's head trainer at Pyeongchang, Kim Sun-tae, is now coaching the Chinese national team.

Renowned short track speed skater Viktor Ahn, also known as Ahn Hyun-soo, is coach Kim's assistant.

Ahn acquired a Russian passport in 2011 before the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where he won four medals including three golds.

Ahn decided to represent Russia after he missed joining South Korea's team for the 2010 Olympics due to knee surgery and the dissolution of his team as well as a factional rivalry within the KSU.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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